Logo Design Process
Story Behind A Clients Logo Design Process
Barb Hennessy’s journey in launching her new company, The Joy Within, lead her to P3 after she had seen the creative brand and marketing our agency had implemented for several of her colleagues.
Barb has a lifelong mission to assist people who are challenged whether it be a hearing impairment, a veteran with combat stress and trauma to individuals with high stress levels.
Barb came to us with her idea for the new company and questions on what was the best way to rapidly establish a presence in the marketplace. We identified what her vision and goals for her new company were and which market sectors would be her target clients. Based on our Business Intelligence we knew exactly who, where, how and what core brand and marketing solutions to create.
Defining and Understanding the goal
Getting the right amount of details and having a clear understanding of a client’s problems and goals from the beginning is the most important factor when starting a new logo design.
Asking questions such as, How does your company differ from its competitors?, What keywords should best describe your new logo?, or What type of logos typically appeal to you?, will help me and our clients become more on the same page and set up for a successful deliverable.
Research
After receiving the Logo Handout and initiating phone conversation to get additional details the handout did not provide, In Barb’s case, our team provided enough information to begin researching her company and competitors to get a better feel for her market – this helps in the overall look and message the final logo conveys.
Creative Stage
My designs, whether it’s logos or websites, always start off on paper. This allows me to get my brain moving in the right direction and get down as many ideas as possible. Jumping directly onto the computer can slow the creative process – it takes more time to execute ideas and one can tend to pay more attention to minute details early on. Mind mapping also helps in exploring and growing your topic. You can easily expand upon ideas and keywords.
Drafting and Development
Since I had a general idea on what the logo might look like, I dove into drawing up some sketches. “I tried a few different approaches with how letters and graphics might connect and flow into one another, a few different capitals and swooshes, and it wasn’t long before I arrived at the third sketch which had the vibe I was looking for.”
Client Feedback
Working closely with my clients is not only essential to my business objectives, but without a doubt helps in the process of creating a logo that represents them and their company.
I do my best to touch base with my clients frequently and get their feedback through various stages of the logo design process. This also helps in building their trust, as the gain a better understanding of what their money is being invested into.
Color and Typefaces
After I’m at least 80% satisfied with the logos I have so designed I play around with color combination and font variation.
I typically provide my clients with at least 3 different logo samples, each having color variations and typefaces that work well with the mark and company’s message.
Final Revisions
After the client comes to an agreement of the best overall solution for their logo, I will go in and make any additional minor changes I feel are necessary.
At this stage I’ll also mock-up what their new logo will look like on their existing website or stationery. This helps your clients see how the logo works as a collective, not just a standalone object.
Delivering the files
Delivering a variety of file formats to your clients will not only leave them satisfied in the long term, but any designer who follows you will also be grateful.
Whether you are printing high quality, adding a logo to a website, or inserting your company logo into a Word document, there are various file formats that should be used over the other.